Daddy's Disappointment
by morbid333
Summary: In two very different cities, two very different single fathers have very different parental styles. Contains language, sexual references, and abuse. Squall/Rinoa Irvine/Selphie Seifer/Quistis Nida/Xu Zell/Library-Girl
1. Chapter 1

**Daddy's Disappointment**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VIII  
Final Fantasy VIII, all characters, names, and places contained within belong to Square-Enix  
All Original Characters belong to me  
There are three lyrical inserts in this chapter.  
The first is from the song **The Light at the End of the World** by **My Dying Bride  
**The second and third are from the song **Sweet Dreams** by **Eurythmics**

**Summary: **In two very different cities, two very different single fathers have very different parental styles. One thrives on discipline, afraid to relinquish control. The other believes that ties of love, respect and friendship can stem from roots of equality.

Rated M for sexual references and content.

Squall/Rinoa, Zell/'Library Girl with Pigtail,' Seifer/Quistis Irvine/Selphie, Nida/Xu

**Author's Notes: **This story has been in planning for a long time. I came up with the idea around about the time I began writing **Angel of Decadence.** I realise that it may be an overdone concept but hopefully me, being the degenerate that I am, will be able to put my own spin on things. Something you may be interested to know, this chapter was almost going to be named 'Prologue' but I decided against it, instead naming it after one of the lyric inserts. Also, at some point in the chapter, I use the term "frozen features." That is a reference to the album by Swedish Gothic/Doom Metal band **Draconian. **I'll just post the first chapter for now. Then there'll be a wait until I write the next chapter. Don't ask me how long exactly because even now, I can't say with any degree of certainty. I honestly have no idea. Well, enough of my incessant babbling; you're here to read the story, not my unnecessary Author's notes.

**Sweet Dreams**

She snuck silently like a stealthy assassin through her own home. Her fear of getting caught in the act pushed her on further.

She crept down the hallway as though it were a library full of overly stressed out people studying for an exam that would determine the reality and existence of their futures. Truthfully, she was the one that was stressed out.

She shouldn't be doing this in the first place. This she knew but what could she do? She was a curious person by nature, the one thing that man had so far neglected to crush from her puréed spirit with his disciplinary juicer.

She had seen him come up and down from the basement many times yet she'd never had the courage to confront him about it. There was only so much one girl could take – both in terms of curiosity and otherwise.

She had taken action the instant she heard his car ignite and leave the premises.

Unlike some fathers, that man had no insecurities about leaving his teenage daughter at home. She knew all too well what would happen to her if she did anything wrong. If she – say − broke into his liquor cabinet, threw a party, or even went somewhere that was marked out as forbidden for her, she knew that the entire world – for all intents and purposes – would come crashing down on top of her, as if it hadn't done so already.

It was bad enough being raised by a man of the military but on top of that, things at school were beginning to go horribly awry.

Her social life had peaked before puberty had. Her life had been going on one spiralling downhill ride ever since the end of grade school. For some unfathomable reason, some cruel deity had befitted her brain with a conscience and like a malleable puppet she had begun listening to it more and more as she grew older and unwise.

Such a change in her was seen as a betrayal of her friends – the girls that had welcomed her when no others would. It had all begun innocently enough. The first straw was when she stopped laughing at their jokes – one liners sired by cruelty rather than wit. Not sensing the danger, she even tried defending the meek students from the vultures she called friends. If that wasn't a mistake then neither was commenting on the foundation of their respective dates and relationships.

One by one, the members of her gang had begun excluding her until she had been cast out entirely, a victim out in the open, a rodent sleeping in a shooting gallery. At school she was all alone but at home she only wished she was. The times of the day in which she was left abandoned and secluded were the only times she felt even remotely at peace. Although she was alone, her current situation stood strong as an exception.

Though she was now alone in the house she was far from peace. In fact, she felt about as peaceful as one with a fear of heights riding a massive roller coaster. Normally she would relish her time alone in that house, the time she had to herself, the time until _he_ came back, the time that she was imprisoned yet free.

Her time alone may not be what all would consider enjoyable. It was quite the contrary. It was a sign of Rinoa's retched existence. She continued to – not live – but merely exist. To her, paradise was to another misery. Another's neglect was to her, solitude – and her father's brand of love and nurturing was something she could do without. It was an affliction she neither wanted nor needed yet was forced to endure.

Rinoa looked around the room, scanning the darkness about her; scanning, searching, looking; lacking the ability to see.

She stumbled about in the darkness of the room. The atmosphere was not so different inside her mind as it was out.

Unseen through the black cloak of the room, a bittersweet smile snaked its way up the girl's unseen pale face, self-pity tugging at the corners of her mouth like hooks. Other girls her age had such superficial views. If someone rejected them or took their phone away they'd cry and wail injustice.

She felt her way to the wall and found a light switch. She flicked it on and was taken aback by what was revealed. Several years worth of work and possessions – things she was sure were gone.

It was amazing how many of Rinoa's long lost possessions had made it down here. Things that she thought were surely gone for good. Her two-bit masterpieces from art class, her models, Aztec gold from the third grade, fashionable clothes that all fathers hate, even an obsolete video game console she hadn't seen in years.

Much of this stuff had departed the physical plain before Angelo had.

Rinoa's eyes widened in shock.

_Angelo…  
_

Her poor dog, she'd been her best friend for so long. Back when Rinoa started high school, Angelo truly was the only friend the girl had, sad as it was to admit it. It hadn't always been that way but after her truest friend left her, Angelo was really all she had. Now _she_ was gone as well, leaving her with no-one.

Now the poor girl lay in the dirt.

Sure, Rinoa had made other friends since but none of them felt real. None of them were as close or as special as those first two, as the ones that had left her. Perhaps it was their fault that Rinoa had come to be this way. Could it be?

Rinoa quickly shook her head, instantly dismissing the idea and began rummaging through some of her old treasure. That was impossible. How could she even think of blaming those two? They were the only people ever to genuinely care about her. They were her only true friends.

Going through the old boxes was both a fulfilling and distracting experience but Rinoa couldn't help the feelings of reminiscence and with them, a longing for her lost tranquillity. It was almost painful how much she craved her past.

She wanted it. She needed it. It was a part of her she had almost forgotten. It was the part of her that made her whole. It made her human. It made her happy. Without it, she had no life. Without it, she had no soul. Without it, she was dead.

To live apart from her previous life was just too cruel. To be reminded brought misery with her reminiscence but to forget would do little more than prolong her meaningless existence.

If Rinoa had one wish, it would be to disappear. She wished she could die and be reborn as somebody else, far away from here, Far away from her father, Far away from her 'friends.'

To live a life of nothingness was one thing – but to be cursed with the memories of a better life was far worse.

She wondered how other people managed to piece together their broken lives after succumbing to tragedy. She'd never know. It wasn't as though this was all she knew but it was all she would experience as long as she was in her father's care. It was enough to make anyone crave a way out, an escape, anything and everything.

To serve as lamb was too much. She was as much burden as she was prisoner. At times she suspected her father of hating her. Whatever she did was wrong. Whatever she did was deserving of punishment.

She couldn't do anything right. She was always in the wrong. It was her greatest sin and that was her flaw.

Her hands rummaged on autopilot with her mind barely thinking at all. Her hands were hurriedly sorting through that which her father had labelled trash when she came upon something she hadn't seen in some time – her old phone. Her eyes widened and a smile tugged at her lips; and for once, it wasn't bittersweet or forced. It was a genuine smile.

With this device maybe she could re-establish contact with the first one to leave her. If it still worked…

She rummaged some more in the box and found the charger. She plugged it in to one of the few power outlets and connected it up to the cell phone. After a minute or so of attempting to turn it on, the electronic device's screen suddenly flashed to life.

Rinoa smiled once more, a genuine smile bringing with it a long forgotten euphoria. The coffin of dread was losing its hold on her like sedatives beginning to wear off a patient in an asylum.

With this device, she was one potential phone-call away from happiness.

With Anxious fingers, she brought up her contacts list to find the phone's stored numbers – there was only one name on the list. Her mind and body had frozen. Her eyes stared wide at the single name on the list, the letters that forged the word; taking in every curve of them, the look of them, lapping up their appearance like a hungry tongue.

– Squall

That was it, his number was still here. She could talk with him at last – but what would she say? What would he say to her? Would he be in the mood to talk to her or would he have forgotten all about her?

With nausea building up inside her she used her tongue to moisten her dry quivering lips and pushed the button to begin the call.

A long unbearable silence ensued over the next immeasurable span of time as Rinoa waited for Squall to pick up. Doubt began to fill her empty stomach as she began to worry. Did Squall still have his old phone or had he traded up for a newer one? It was all too much. She could feel the anxiety building up within her, making her giddy. She thought she might have a panic attack from the uncertainty and vulnerability she had just put herself in.

This was her only chance, the only thought of something different. She wanted to see him. She wanted to see Squall so badly the fear of rejection was literally tearing her apart.

Finally, the phone beeped in her ear and she heard a slight static as though the call were finally open. Her eyes widened; her face flushed with life and hope for the first time in a while. All things but Squall were pushed aside. For this moment, he was all that consumed her. The line was open but the silence endured for a moment longer. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Squall had never been a big talker. Perhaps he was waiting for her to be the first to speak?

Rinoa opened her mouth to say something when she was cut off by a cool female voice.

"_I'm sorry, the phone you have used to make this call is not currently registered on our network and as such, is unable to call out or establish connections with our server. If you would like to register this phone, please call our free business line on 10-800-5444-444 or visit us online at …"_

"No… I…" there was no way. This wasn't fair, to raise her hopes and then smash them so effortlessly…

She closed her eyes and tightened her hold on the phone until it hurt her hand and her knuckles had turned white.

"Oh Hyne…" she uttered in an inaudible voice that was barely more than a whisper. "Why in your own name to you detest me so?" She was about to throw the phone away when she remembered something. _Oh, that's right – this phone had a camera, didn't it?_

She ended the phone's current call and brought up the menu, flicking through the various features until she came to the photo gallery – hoping and praying that it would still be there.

Once the folder had finally opened – which had taken _far_ too long to be to Rinoa's liking – she was enthralled to see that it was full of photographs. The shadow of a smile returned to warm her frozen features as she opened one.

_At least I still have my memories_ – she mused as she began flipping through the various photographs in the digital album.

_It's sad to hear how young love has died_

_To know that alone, someone has cried_

_But memories are ours to keep _

_To live again in our sleep_

_Oh, that's right_ – Rinoa remembered – _This was taken on that day._

Rinoa stared at the picture that filled her old cell phone's screen and allowed her mind to creep back to that place in time, back before she came here to hopes forsaken house in God's forgotten city.

The picture detailed a young boy with short brown hair sitting on a fence with one arm around the raven-haired girl beside him and the other around a dog. There they were – Squall and Angelo. That photograph was the last piece of evidence of the three of them all having been together in the same place at once.

* * *

_Rinoa walked like a glum contradiction through the sunny streets of Balamb with Angelo's lead in her hand. As she sauntered with scuffing shoes along the pavement she happened to catch the happy expressions on people's faces. She had to ask herself how so many people could be happy on such a sad occasion. It just didn't seem fair. Here she was – miserably walking her dog while others her age were carelessly running by with ice-creams and the like. They didn't have a single care in the world._

_She envied them. She wished she could be like that again, like she had been before she found out._

_It was hard to believe. If _she_ could hardly believe it then how would Squall take the news? How would she tell him? In all honesty she didn't know. That's why she had been avoiding him for the past few days. She didn't want to. She only had a day left to spend with him and yet she was doing her best to stay away from him. It wasn't fair on either of them._

"_Hey Rinoa!"_

_The girl turned around and there he was – Squall._

"_I haven't seen you in a while."_

"_Yeah, I know." She didn't know how to feel. Should she be happy that he was here or sad that she'd have to tell him that they'd never see each other again? It just wasn't fair._

_They'd spent the day together. The day had gone brilliantly like the clichéd happy ending of a movie._

_Movies are like that. They always have such happy endings. Movies are so unrealistic._

_Like the end of a movie, the sun was setting. In hindsight, this _was _the end of a move; the end of a chapter, a chapter in her life. It was the end of happiness, the end of sunny days and the end of her life with Squall. Everything that had followed since was really little more than an inescapable nightmare. It was one she wished she could escape from but such an opportunity would never arise._

_She looked to her left where Squall walked beside her. She opened her mouth to speak. They had been walking for so long and had yet to say anything. Rinoa knew she had to speak but now it came to it, she didn't know what to say. She couldn't make herself talk. She closed her mouth again, hoping that Squall hadn't noticed._

"_You know, you're really quiet today" he informed her._

"_Yeah, I know"_

"_Is something wrong?"_

"_Yeah…" She stopped walking and faced him, peering directly into his deep blue sapphires._

"_So… what is it?"_

"_We…" she gave a lament-filled sigh. "We need to talk" she answered to his puzzled face._

_

* * *

_

Rinoa felt her lips pulling up into another sad smile as she clicked out of the current photo and into another. She flipped through a few more until she found one that made her stop. She sat awestruck in the corner of the darkened room.

"This photo… "

That was taken on the last day she stepped foot in Balamb – right before the move.

She wished she could go back to that moment and live it again. She wished she could visit each of these pictures – these memories – again and stay there. She didn't care for how long. At times like these, she just wished she could enter some kind of dream-world and stay there, reliving the events of her past. To live in that world forever, to exist only in a dream, for a wasted life, would it truly be so fruitless? For the sake of happiness, it may have just been worth it.

Rinoa smirked at herself, mocking the wretched way she now thought. It had lately come to her attention just how pitiful her life had become. Could she seriously go on like this? It was a rather sad thought. She didn't want to think about it.

_Scratch that_

_I can't think about that… it's too… it's too depressing._

_

* * *

_

_The two families had come together to wish each other well in the future._

_Rinoa sat on one end of the fence that had for all this time separated their houses. On the other end, Squall sat with his father and sister. Not wanting anything to get her down, Angelo appeared to be acting as though nothing were out of the ordinary, as though nothing were odd, as though nothing were wrong with the world. She ran up and down the driveway as though ignorant to all that was happening. It never crossed young minds of the possibility that perhaps she honestly didn't understand. Perhaps she simply lacked the knowledge that she should be sad. Perhaps she was simply unaware that she would never again see this place or these people._

_The joyful animal sat between the feet of Squall and Ellone – the latter being the former's older sister._

_Rinoa sat and watched as they played with and petted her dog. It would be the last chance they would have to do so. Of course they would want to get their fill._

_Rinoa hopped off the fence and joined them as Angelo did little more than sit there and lap up all the attention as dogs often did._

_It was fun and the last activity they would all share but it did not last long. Before they had a chance to get bored of the activity, it came to an end by Angelo being led to the car and enclosed inside, sitting peacefully, panting on the back seat of the car, watching them from the window, ready for the trip._

_Rinoa looked from Angelo in the car to Squall and Ellone, then back to the car, then back to her friend._

_Their eyes met, for just a short while before the girl broke contact._

"_It… it looks as though we'll be leaving now" she admitted quietly and solemnly._

_Over by the house, a fair bit away from the children, the adults spoke similar words._

_A man with slick black hair extended a white-gloved hand toward the man opposite him, who took it without hesitation. The two men stood in bright contrast with one another. While one's black hair was tidy, short and slicked back, the other's was worn long, obscuring one half of his face. Even their clothing differed entirely._

_While one man wore a suit in his time off, the other was casually dressed in a sky-blue t-shirt and trousers. Just about everything that defined the two men was completely different, including the company they kept._

"_General Caraway, I wish you the best of luck" the long haired man – Squall's father – finally said._

"_Thank you" Caraway replied, releasing the long haired man's hand, withdrawing his own and offering it to the third adult, an incredulously thin man with a dark complexion and waist-length dreadlocks, complete with decorative multi-colored __beads._

_He was dressed in a yellow tank top that exposed his mid-rift and__ a pair of asphyxiatingly tight red leather pants – exactly the kind of outfit a good parent like Caraway would grimace to see on their teenage daughter, let alone on their son, let alone when he was a fully grown adult. To tell the truth, Caraway had always felt a little uneasy around this dark-skinned man. There was just something about him that the general didn't like. Of course he had never married and he spent a lot of time around the long haired man and his son. Sometimes, it almost seemed as though he lived with them._

_To one without wisdom, it would seem almost as though he were part of the family – but such a preposterous idea was far from even a fantasized partial possibility._

_The dark-skinned man took the general's hand briefly before letting go._

"_I wish you the best of luck for the future" he said monotonously, the way his early years in the military had trained him to address his superiors._

"_Thank you" Caraway replied. "Private Loire, Private Seagul; I wish you all the best." With their customary pleasantries out of the way, the three men had nothing more to say to one-other._

_Each of the three men offered up a swift silent simultaneous salute before turning – every bit as swiftly, silently and at the same time – on their heels and walking away in three separate directions with choreographed precision._

_Caraway Walked over and stood behind his daughter, tapping her on the shoulder._

"_It's time to go" he said._

"_Yeah, I know" she nodded, standing to her feet. Her eyes darted back and forth between Squall and Ellone who were also on their feet. She needed to say goodbye but didn't know how._

_A simple word? It just didn't seem enough._

_A handshake?_

_A hug?_

_How should she go about it?_

_Rinoa hated goodbyes. She just…_

"_Rinoa… now" the General commanded without sympathy, walking toward the car and sitting in the driver's seat, igniting the engine to the car._

"_Jackass," the dark-skinned man muttered to Squall's father, who merely grinned in amusement at his friend's comment. "Then again, I guess he wouldn't know anything about the emotional complications involved when one is forced to leave their friends behind."_

_Rinoa narrowed her eyes at her retreating parent before turning back to Squall. She moved toward him but then hesitated, looking at him embarrassedly. Backing off slightly, she extended her arm for him._

_He went to take it but she again withdrew. He looked at her questioningly._

"_I'm sorry" she apologized. Feeling frustrated with herself for her own awkwardness, the girl closed her eyes and threw herself into Squall, forcing him to catch her._

_Her arms wrapped themselves around him as his did the same with her._

"_I'll miss you" She told him."_

"_I… me too" Squall replied quietly before letting her go._

_Rinoa opened her eyes and looked to the brunette's sister._

_The older girl smiled back at her and embraced her warmly._

"_You've been a good friend to Squall, thank you."_

"_No… no problem" the older girl replied._

"_It's sad to say this but I can guarantee you that Squall will never have another friend like you." Rinoa looked up at her._

"_Really?" Ellone nodded._

"_I think you'd better get going before your Dad loses patience with you". The older girl warned._

_Rinoa looked back toward the car and began walking in that direction when the dark-skinned man stepped in her path and held out his hand._

_Rinoa took his hand and shook it._

"_If you're ever passing through, remember to stop by. We'll always be glad to have you" he said with a grin._

"_Thanks" the girl replied before hopping into the car which sped off, taking her away._

"_She won't be back, Kiros. You know that, right?" Squall's father asked carefully and quietly so that the children wouldn't hear him._

"_I know" Kiros said, his grin fading "but even false hope is better than nothing."_

"_As the two adults spoke away from young ears, Squall pondered the possibility that he might never see his friend again._

_

* * *

_

That had indeed been the last time they were in Balamb together. She had never gone back. It hadn't been due to her not wanting to go of course. She wanted to see his face more than anything else. She'd wilfully trade food, water or even air just to be able to stand beside him once more.

Of course she knew that it was absurd and impossible but that was what she wanted. She longed for that lone thing more than any other in the material world that existed despite her.

Many other families vacationed in Balamb during the summer. It was a great idea. They wouldn't even have to rent a house. Rinoa was sure that they would be able to stay with Squall's family. She had made the argument with her father many times but each attempt was shot down like a pig in a bi-plane.

Unlike some people, her father was far too busy to take time off in the summer. He was far too busy working. He worked year round. That was all he did. He had no time for fun, no time for leisure, no time for a partner, no time for even a family. It was a wonder he'd ever found someone to marry him in the first place.

While it was true that Rinoa had never gone back to visit Squall in Balamb, it would be inaccurate to say that the two never got to see each other again after that.

One bleak summer, years after that time, Squall had come for a visit.

He had come alone.

_

* * *

_

_There he stood in the doorway._

_Rinoa's body had frozen completely stiff._

_When she heard a knock on the door she had been convinced that it would be one of her friends however when she opened the door she had been surprised to see Squall standing there._

"_Something wrong?" he asked her, arching an eyebrow at her absurd reaction._

_Snapping herself from her daze and launching herself back into reality, her eyes lost their glazed appearance and she allowed herself to collapse into his arms._

"_Take it easy" he told her light-heartedly, although he had to admit that he was happy to see her as well._

"_I'm sorry" She apologised. "It's just that, I've missed you so much. What... why are you here?" she asked into his shoulder._

"_I had nothing else to do and my boredom was driving everyone crazy, myself included, so Laguna tracked your father down and told me where I could find you."_

"_Laguna, is that a friend of yours?"_

"_You know him." Rinoa looked up at him questioningly._

"_I do?" she asked._

"_He's my father. You remember him right? Black hair, sky blue shirt... no matter what anyone says to him about it."_

"_What's wrong with blue?" Rinoa defended, placing her hands on her hips._

"_Oh yeah," Squall admitted. "I forgot, blue's _your_ favourite colour as well, isn't it."_

"_Um, Squall? Why do you call your father by his name?"_

"_Oh, right," Squall said, preparing himself for an explanation. "Actually, before I get into that, do you mind if I come in?" Rinoa's eyes widened._

"_Of course!" she exclaimed._

_Moving aside, she couldn't get out of his way fast enough._

"_So how long can you stay?" the raven-haired girl asked, dragging the brunette by his arm towards the kitchen._

"_I don't really have any kind of curfew," he told her, offering no resistance as she moved him about like a child with a ragdoll. "It's all up to you and your father."_

"_Oh" she said, her joy dampened slightly by the thought of that man. "So is the rest of your family here as well?" Squall shook his head._

"_They're all back in Balamb."_

"_Right… so then, do you think you could stay here, you know, for a week or something?"_

"_That's all up to your father," Squall replied, shrugging."_

"_Right… so about yours… what did you call him again?"_

"_Laguna."_

"_Yeah, why does he let you call him that?"_

"_It's his name?" the brunette suggested. "He once told me that it's weird being a father and since he's not really all that big on authority, he's always just encouraged me to call him by his first name. He said something about a closer, less formal bond."_

"_Wow… that sounds pretty easy-going and carefree."_

"_He is."_

"_I wish my father were like that. Sometimes it seems like he's a little _too_ strict."_

"_There's nothing wrong with that," Squall argued. "Sometimes, lack of discipline can be a bad thing." Rinoa could only stare at the stranger before her. She had honestly expected Squall to side with _her_. Hearing otherwise was like a betrayal to her._

_The next sound she heard was another betrayal altogether._

_The front door opened and in walked her father. As he approached, his footsteps slowed and Rinoa could feel herself physically shrinking._

"_Rinoa, is there something you wish to tell me?" he asked. In response, she only tilted her head and looked at him the way a dog would when it knew it was in trouble. "Would you care to explain why someone is in the house? You know the rule."_

"_Sir" the Brunette respectfully replied, standing before the man and extending his hand. "I apologize for not informing you first but this was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing."_

"_Can I help you?" the General asked, staring straight through him, ignoring his outstretched hand completely._

"_It's me, Squall, Laguna Loire's son. I used to live next door to you when you lived in Balamb."_

"_Yes, I remember. I know who you are, that doesn't answer my question, however. What are you doing in my house?"_

"_I came by to see Rinoa."_

"_I'm sorry Squall; I'm not supposed to let anyone in the house" the girl explained, taking responsibility "I shouldn't have let you in. You'll have to leave. If you want to talk, we'll have to do it somewhere else."_

"_Rinoa, don't be discourteous,"__ Caraway scolded. "This boy has obviously travelled a long way to see you. You mustn't send him away now."_

"_What?" Rinoa asked, clearly surprised. What was he doing? Why was he acting so different? Any other time he'd be forcing their guest to leave._

"_I'll make an exception this one time but don't let it happen again. How long are you here for?" he asked the brunette._

"_That all depends on you."_

"_In that case, you may stay in Rinoa's room."_

"_What!?" Rinoa asked. "I don't believe this. You're letting Squall stay in my room with me!?"_

"_You have a problem?" Caraway asked her callously._

_Rinoa's eyes widened and snapped over to Squall._

"_No, believe me, it's not like that at all, it's just that…"_

"_I apologize," Caraway stated. "I can honestly say that I don't know why she is acting this way." Rinoa looked away._

Great_ –she thought – _Now he probably thinks I don't want him to stay.

_

* * *

_

_Squall had been able to stay for a few weeks, which had easily become some of Rinoa's most cherished memories and considering the others she harbored of her sorry life in Galbadia, they were the only ones she wanted to keep._

"_I know" the brunette had told her on his final day. "I've enjoyed it and I'll miss you too."_

"_You sound like you're talking to me over the phone, as though you've already left" Rinoa observed sadly._

"_Do I?" Squall asked her. "I'm sorry about that. I guess I've got a lot on my mind. I'll miss you but… I'll come back and see you again next year," he promised her._

"_No you won't," Rinoa replied, sadly shaking her head. "He won't let you. This time was an exception, remember? Don't worry," she added brightly after an awkward silence threatened to asphyxiate and depress them. "I'll come and see you instead."_

"_How are you going to manage that?"_

"_He can't keep me in this house forever, right? Eventually, I'll be able to move out. I'll be sure to come and see you in Balamb. I'll get a house there and when I do, I'll be your girlfriend, okay?" Squall's eyes widened. He was speechless at the suggestion._

"…_I'd like that," he finally said, deciding it would be best to let her hold on to what hope she may have had. He'd agree to any silly promise if it made her happy._

_

* * *

_

Of course, that wasn't at all how it was to go. In all the time since that visit, Squall had never once returned and Rinoa had never once been to see him in Balamb.

The girl knew that there was slim to no chance of their promise being fulfilled now.

It had been a few years since that time and besides that, there was also that _other_ thing. The thing about Squall. The thing that she refused to believe, she could not believe.

She had to deny its truth. She had no choice but to ignore that lie for what it was. She just had to refuse it, she had to deny.

The thing about Squall, the thing that Caraway had told her. She remembered it clearly, like a nightmare. He'd told her the second that Squall left.

* * *

_The brunette had just left her alone with her father. He'd just this instant walked out and closed the door quietly behind him._

_He'd left her with only her sweet memories of him and his promise ringing in her ears. She was so sad that he was leaving but she was happy that she would get to see him again. She would see him in the future, no matter how long it might take._

_A smile made its way onto her lips. They would meet again._

"_Rinoa, I don't know what you're so happy about," her father chided her. "You _do_ realize that you're never going to see him again, don't you?"_

"_That shows what you know__," she snapped back, fully expecting a slap in the face. What she did receive in its place however, was far worse than any mere slap._

_Caraway sneered down at her and raised an amused eyebrow at his daughter's misplaced vanity._

"_And what makes you say that?__" he asked._

_If Rinoa were more mature she'd have kept her mouth shut but back then she was still acting like a child and like a child she was determined to prove her arrogant father wrong and shut up that whole in his face._

"_I'm going to go to Balamb someday and then we'll be together until we die!"_

"_You think so?"_

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_Did _he_ tell you that?"_

"_We both agreed on it," she proudly admitted._

"_You foolish girl. Don't you realize that he was only saying that to put your mind at ease? He has no intention whatsoever of keeping such a dim-witted promise, least of all with someone like you."_

"_What do you mean dim-witted?" the girl asked defensively. She had been so proud of her great idea."_

"_Squall's father, Laguna Loire; he was once my subordinate and as such I have kept him under surveillance all this time. You should know that that boy has no intention of being in any kind of relationship with you."_

"_How would you know that!?" she demanded._

_Caraway merely smirked through his response._

"_Because, my brainless daughter;__ that boy already _has_ a girlfriend." Rinoa's eyes widened in horror._

"_No, that's not true. It's not possible! It's not, it's not, it's not!" her reaction only twisted caraway's face into an even more malicious form of disdain._

"_It's true. I have seen it. A nice tall blonde girl with blue eyes."_

"_But… he told me…"_

"_He felt sorry for you Rinoa. Surely even _you_ can realize _that_ much."_

"_But… he didn't seem all that enthusiastic about it… could it be true?" she asked, questioning herself, questioning her own zeal. She wished her mother was here. She'd know what to say._

"_Don't feel too bad about it, Rinoa." The girl looked up into those cold stern eyes. "You'd never be good enough for him anyway. If you ever went to them, the only thing you could be to that family is exactly what you have always been to me, ever since you were born."_

"_Wha… what is that?" she asked through a dry throat, asking and knowing strait away that she didn't want to hear the answer._

"_A burden."_

_

* * *

_

"_Rinoa!?"_

The raven haired girl's eyes widened in both shock and fear, what was _he _doing home? He'd only just left. Rinoa had been sure she'd timed this all perfectly, so why?

What was he doing back so soon?

"_Rinoa? I hope you're not in the basement. That would be very bad."_

The girl didn't know what to do. Who knew what would happen when he found her down there. It was too awful to contemplate.

She had to hide. It was her only option.

"Rinoa, I know that you're down here. You left the light on. Why don't you simply show yourself? If you're lucky, I might be lenient with you." Rinoa backed into a dark corner and closed her eyes.

_He won't find me, it'll be fine. He can't see me in here. He has no proof. He hasn't seen me here, I could be anywhere for all he knows. He won't find me. He won't find me. He won't find me. He won't…"_

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
Who am I to disagree?  
Travel the world and the seven seas  
Everybody's looking for something_

_He won't find me. He won't find me. He won't find me. He won't-"_

"Good evening, Rinoa," her father said in a nonchalant tone.

_Crap!_ He sounded so close. Why was he so close?

Rinoa slowly and carefully opened her left eye, just a crack so that she could see.

"Having fun?" Caraway asked, towering over her.

"Not… really," Rinoa nervously replied.

"Just because you close your eyes, that doesn't make you invisible. Surely you know that."

"Yeah, I know," she muttered.

"Then come on. Be a good girl and come out of there."

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," her father assured her. "If you come out right now and promise to be good, I won't punish you for hiding from me."

"O-okay. I'll come out." She slowly began crawling out of her poor choice of hiding place until a harsh back-hand slap sent her down to the ground completely. Rinoa looked up into the enraged eyes of her father.

"What was that for?" she asked. "You said…"

"Yes… I said that I wouldn't punish you for hiding from me."

"Then… why?"

"That was for entering the basement. You know it is forbidden of you to come down here." He picked up the cell phone and began flicking through its content. "Whatever would you want with an old phone that no-longer functions?" he wondered aloud.

He began pushing buttons on the phone and scrolling through the menus.

"You children and your music…" he criticized. "Now _that_ is a crusade, the search for the conceivable reason. Why you would pay good money for these annoying ringtones is beyond me."

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Uh-uh," he replied, continuing to push buttons. After he was finished he showed her the screen so she could see those three horrible words.

– _All Content Deleted_

"My memories… my proof…"

"You are so sentimental, Rinoa. This is a fitting consequence, don't you agree?"

"Consequence?" Caraway smirked, an evil grin shining all the way through his spiteful response.

"Evil deeds mustn't go unpunished."

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__Who am I to disagree?  
__Travel the world and the seven seas  
__Everybody's looking for something  
_

_Some of them want to use you  
__Some of them want to be used by you  
__Some of them want to abuse you  
__Some of them want to be abused_

_

* * *

_

**So, what did you think? If you liked it, let me know. If you didn't, let me know. If you leave a review, I'll try to respond.**** Another point of potential interest was that this chapter was only going to have the Rinoa/Caraway interaction and the basement sneaking concept. Each of the flashbacks were originally going to be in short chapters of their own but I decided to merge them all together. Well, in any case, I hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Daddy's Disappointment**

**Author's Notes: **I just read over the first chapter and it reminded me just how long it's been since I started this story. I think my writing style has changed somewhat since then. Anyway, let me thank everyone that took the time to leave a review. **URSURP, Cheerlygal, J.L. Zielesch, Ittan, Tori101, Ali Twihart, Iffritman56, Trev James, RavennaAngelline, Naya Angel-Wings Heartilly, and The 666****th**** Necrophiliac.** Thank you all for your reviews, and thank you also to those anonymous reviewers. I got twelve for the first chapter. Twelve! Three were somewhat in-depth. And one of those was long! And better yet, none of them were trolls! Unlike Lucy of the Leaf. Anyway, I think I responded to you all, if I didn't, I apologise, and I hope you all continue to read this one, despite the long wait

Maybe this could have worked as a one-shot, but that wasn't the initial plan, so here you go. Chapter two. I split this in half because it got too long. I cut off the last third and still managed to reach my five thousand word target. Oh well, I think I still managed to move things a little, but it'll be probably another two chapters before things settle down. However long it takes me to get that far. Anyway, I hope you'll all enjoy this one. It has an action scene, complete with cheesy dialogue, and one of my reoccurring characters. I'm sure anyone who's read my other ff8 stories will be able to guess whom it is. Also who can pick up on the Mr Creedy reference? Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VIII

**The Escape**

* * *

_With eyes closed tight, there was only darkness. Without sound, there was only silence. Dark. Never ending. But not oppressive. Rinoa was not a girl who detested the quiet. On the contrary, she had grown to love it, to depend on it. Solitude was an instrument of safety. Like a restraining order against the world._

_Silence was her salvation. Unlike the crashing of pans heard off in the distance. The slamming of doors. The stamping of feet against the carpeted hallway._

_Coming closer. Approaching from the distance._

_Something was coming._

_He was coming. For her!_

_Rinoa ceased to breathe as she heard the unmistakable sound of her bedroom door swinging on its hinges, as it violently swung open. Loudly colliding with the corner wall._

_With a sickly mixture of curiosity and dread, Rinoa opened her eyes as she felt the blood drain from her cheeks._

_Chocolate brown eyes opened to the natural light shining through the window from the late evening sky._

_Eyes opened to blue walls and a white ceiling._

_Eyes opened to shelves lined with countless books. Fantasy and romance novels, all of them. Tales that could take her away from here and let her visit places unseen by the human eye. If escapism were for the weak, then Rinoa's gym membership card had been revoked._

_Eyes opened to the large collection of stuffed animals on her back wall. All kept well, in nearly pristine condition since the early years of her childhood when she'd received them as gifts._

_Eyes opened to grey carpet, on which the girl sat huddled in the corner. A plush penguin under her left arm, her right hand only at that minute frozen, its fingers ending the continuous movement of stroking the luxuriously soft, white fur of the plush bird's belly._

_Eyes opened to the sight of her father. Leering down at her. Visibly angry._

"_What have you done?" he spat hatefully._

_Rinoa blanched. If only she knew the answer to that very question. She wanted to ask what was wrong. Why her father was so upset. Why he was so angry with her. What had happened? Why was he in such a bad mood? Did he have a rough day? Were things going poorly at work? Is that why he always came home so sour? Or was home the problem? Did the man simply loathe the prospect that he had no spouse waiting for him, or of coming home to such a useless daughter?_

_He hated her._

_Rinoa wanted to ask why. She wanted to ask what he wanted of her. She wanted to say so many things, but she wouldn't. She couldn't. She had lost her voice. Of that moment, she was mute. She couldn't speak._

"_Where is it?" the man snapped at his daughter. What was it? What was he talking about? "I know you've done something." Rinoa narrowed her eyes. She didn't understand. Suddenly, the man grasped at her shirt, pulling her up from her spot on the floor, causing her to drop the child's comforting toy._

_Widened, fearful eyes peered into those of her father's. What was happening? This man was not her father. Her father never lost control like this. He was strict, disciplined, and cold. Sure, but he never lost it like this. He was always in control. Of himself, and all others. For him to lose his temper like this. Rinoa was afraid._

_Anything could happen._

"_I'm growing sick and tired of your childish games, Rinoa," the man said in a firm tone._

"_I don't know what you mean," Rinoa was finally able to answer._

"_Don't lie to me!" Caraway demanded, throwing his teen daughter across the room by her clothing. "Ignorance is also a crime. Surely even _you_ know that much." Rinoa's eyes closed in pain as she turned her head from the man._

_The Man's opinion of his daughter had been quite clear for some time, but it still hurt her when he voiced it out loud. She may have been her mother's daughter, but she could never hope to be her replacement._

_Rinoa would never live up to her father's expectations. She would always be a failure. She would always be a disappointment. Daddy's disappointment._

_She looked up at her father from her new position on the floor, cringing reflexively as he approached. Each slow, drawn out step brought him closer to the quivering, wretched form of his worthless daughter._

_He looked down at her. Her raven hair, strands of which had fallen over her face. Her eyes shut tight as though such a feeble response could save her from this predicament. The girl's standard reaction. It never helped. It had never worked in the past, and it would not work now._

_The only thing it accomplished was to make her seem weak and pathetic. She was pitiful. When was she going to mature and become a person of her own? The way she lay, sprawled out on the floor. So helpless, weak, and pathetic._

_Then his eye flickered downward. Her arm was moving across the carpeted floor. Reaching for something._

_She clasped something. Pulled it to her, hugged it to her chest._

_It was that plush toy. That plush penguin. She was sixteen years old and she was still relying on these pointless children's toys for comfort? It was no wonder she never went out anymore. All her friends were out doing things more suited to their age, while she was in here cuddling with worthless plush animals as though they shared a mutual connection. Perhaps they could bond through their shared triviality and ineptitude._

_The man's lip curled, pulling into a smirk, but the grin didn't meet his eyes. They never did, never had. Making eye-contact, the pairs were locked on to one another. His daughter was unable to look away. Captivated by the silent expression of her father's scorn. Of his contempt and loathing._

_Reaching down, he ripped the animal from her reach. He would do her a favour. This would be for her own good._

_Caraway averted his gaze from the penguin, focusing instead upon the horrified eyes of his daughter. He spoke two words to her before leaving. Before walking out, leaving the girl alone. Taking the penguin with him. Never to be seen again._

_Two words, he said. And two words only. He turned his back on her and made for the exit, turning to face her before taking that last step into the hallway. His eyes narrowed disdainfully as they bore holes into his daughter's skin like acid. And when he spoke, his tone was no less harsh than his gaze._

"_Grow up," he spat, his voice like venom, filled with contempt._

_After having bid his daughter farewell, Caraway departed the bedroom, stopping only to close the door harshly behind him._

_Rinoa's body shuddered uncontrollably. And lip trembling, she closed her eyes before her muscles gave in to the carpet's concerned embrace. She lay on the floor, silently weeping, mourning the loss of her beloved gift. The plush penguin, given to her by Squall all those years ago. It was the last remaining physical attachment she had to him. And now, it was gone forever. Taken from her without remorse, by her cold, cruel disciplinarian._

_Something had to change. Rinoa couldn't continue living like this._

_Something had to change._

_The next sound Rinoa heard was that of a key turning in its lock. The lock in her bedroom door! It was locked on both sides, and without the only key, Rinoa had no means of opening it. She was trapped in her own room as though it were a prison cell._

_He had locked her in._

* * *

The girl exhaled and opened her eyes. A momentary reprieve before getting back to work. Placing the last few necessary items in her backpack, she gave a sigh of relief that she was now finished. Sending shifting, anxious glances to the clock behind her, she noticed that it was past eight o'clock. If she didn't hurry, she'd be late.

Turning her head back to a more natural angle, she looked down, noting the many schoolbooks and papers that now littered the centre of her tidy bedroom floor.

She should hide these papers somewhere; put them somewhere out of sight. If anyone were to see them, they would become instantly suspicious. Either way, it didn't really matter. By the time that man returned, Rinoa would be long gone.

Living in this hole had been too much. It couldn't continue. It had to stop. Something had to change. She couldn't go on living like this. She couldn't. If that man would not stop treating her this way, then the best solution was for her to disappear.

She doubted she would be missed. All in all, she would finally be giving him what he wanted. That man would rather be without a daughter than have one as useless as Rinoa, and Rinoa would rather die than continue living in that man's presence.

This had been a long time coming. That situation with the penguin had simply pushed things over the edge. He had gone too far.

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she gave a weary sigh. It was time for her to leave.

She gave one last glance to the artefacts that littered her room. Her books, her childhood comforts. Those plush animals, such a large collection; she'd miss each and every one of them, but not nearly as much as the one that had been taken from her: The one Squall had given her.

Would he be able to forgive her for losing it? Would he even care? Would he hate her for it?

Probably not, Rinoa concluded. After all, when Squall came to visit that one time, he'd considered it strange that she'd even kept it all this time. He hadn't even remembered giving it to her.

She was the only one who had put so much thought into the gesture, into the inanimate object. She felt so stupid for showing so much care to the plush toy, as though it were actually alive, as though it could return her affection. As though it were actually Squall himself. But on the other hand, to do so, it felt so right. Rinoa couldn't help the smile that warmed her features at the thought

With her backpack securely fastened around her shoulders, Rinoa stepped into the hallway and carefully closed her bedroom door behind her, blocking the sight from her, obscuring it with a white panel of wood. Blocking the sight from her. Hopefully, for the last time.

Making her way down the hall, her body froze as she came to pass the centre of the long corridor-like room, her body adjacent to the door of the master bedroom. Her father's room.

Ducking her head inside, she noticed something. Small, leather, brown. Her father's wallet. Carefully, cautiously, she approached. Sneaking into her father's bedroom. Adrenaline pushed her on. A mix of excitement and terror raced through her mind and body, making her light-headed.

Trembling hands grasped the wallet, opening it. Ignoring the identification and credit cards, her fingers went straight for the cash, glancing around habitually for any of the people absent who might walk by and see her.

Extracting it, she counted the money. Two thousand exactly, all in two hundred Gil notes.

The girl quickly pocketed the cash and placed the wallet back where she'd found it. Exactly how she'd found it.

With that done, she hastened her exit. She didn't want to be caught now. Walking downstairs, she stopped by the kitchen to pick up a quick meal for her hungry, empty stomach before making her way outside.

Stepping over the threshold, stepping out of the warm mansion and into the cold, mid-morning air, Rinoa closed the door, leaving it unlocked. As per usual. Just like she had every morning since starting high school.

She walked down the long, black tar driveway and through the similarly coloured metal gate, closing it with a tinny clang as cold metal slapped metal.

Shuddering from the cold, Rinoa made her way for the nearest bus stop.

The good thing about her father's house was that it was so conveniently located. Just across the road was a walkway leading to the gateway at the centre of Deling City. Just up the road was the local rent-a-car. The shopping arcade was a short bus-ride in one direction, and the train station was likewise, a short ride in the other.

Looking to her recently liberated cell phone, she saw that the time was twenty minutes past eight o'clock in the morning. She'd missed bus Number Five. On any other Friday, that would be the cause for panic. Today however, that wasn't such a big deal.

She didn't need to worry about being late for school. She'd never have to think about Vinzor Deling High School again, with its unpleasant teachers and awful students. Never again would she need to breathe the smog-smothered air of Deling City. In just a few short hours, she'd be free.

She didn't have to walk very far. The bus stop was almost directly outside her house.

Reaching their destination, Rinoa's legs ceased their movements. She searched the timetable on display at the bus stop as her hand fed its possessed food to her hungry mouth.

Assuming she hadn't missed it, Bus number eight would be along any minute now. Of course, there was no reason whatsoever to trust the bus service. In this city, services such as this rarely followed their pre-propositioned schedules.

Buses were almost never on time. And why would they be? It wasn't as though people relied on them to be on time. It wasn't as though the drivers were being paid to meet their schedules.

Turning her gaze to the road, she saw it coming in the distance. The bus. There it was. The large, heavy vehicle. Black metal; with a decorative, dark red trim. A trail of noxious fumes trailed behind it. The large, luminous '08' glowed on its front, above the windscreen, shining eerily amongst the morning air.

Rinoa looked longingly to the food in her hand. It would not be allowed on board the bus. With one final, lament-filled bite, she allowed the unfinished mass of her breakfast to drop into the filthy gutter below her.

She reached into her pants pocket for her wallet and pulled out her bus pass. It was a red card containing the logo of the bus company, as well as a serial number, expiry date, and other information. It entitled her to unlimited bus travel within the city until the end of the month.

Gradually, the bus drew to a halt beside its designated stop. The doors opened sideways with the hiss of compressed air, giving the girl access.

Stepping up, Rinoa showed her pass to the driver, who nodded her on. She walked down the aisle, finding a seat at the back of the bus. Deling Station was only a short ride away. It wouldn't take long to get there, she lived close by.

Placing her pass back inside her wallet, she slipped the black, leather item in her pocket and turned her attention to the window, watching as the houses on the other side of the glass sped by, left behind. This street, this city, this country, her father; she would leave them all behind. She would never have to deal with them again. Never again.

Rinoa allowed herself a sigh of relief. Things were progressing as she'd hoped they would. Slowly, the corners of her lips pulled upward, as though by hooks. For an uncountable moment, the situation got the best of the raven haired girl dressed in black and blue. She smiled.

The bus ride was a short one, and after passing only a few more stops, the large vehicle pulled out of the residential district and came to a halt beside the large, decorative water fountain that marked the city's entrance. For many, this would be their first sight of the city. Particularly for the majority of commuters who came here by train.

The sight of the fountain was an extravagant welcome to new residents. Rinoa remembered her first sight of the brilliant artefact. She remembered how her entire world had just been shattered, and how her mood had instantly brightened by the sight.

Once at her destination, Rinoa stepped off the bus. The girl smiled as she noticed several young children playing in the water. They must have been below school age. So young. Sheltered and protected from the hardships of this world.

Children commonly played in and around the fountain. It was a large area. The fountain marked a three-way intersection in the road. Despite this, most parents saw no reason for their children to stay away from the popular play area. Rinoa remembered the one time she'd played there, and the lecturing consequence that had followed.

City officials were always trying to keep the area clear and clean. This fountain was the city's image. Feats of architecture such as this and the gateway to the north: a massive stone arch located in the centre of the city, were the key to tourism in Deling City.

The Shopping Arcade was located to the east of the fountain. To the west, was the residential district from which Rinoa had come. To the south lay her destination. A sheltered mass of asphalt. Walls, roofs and rails jutted up from the ground.

Merchants selling snacks and drinks. Some offered newspapers. Others sold various souvenirs to those who may have been visitors to the city.

Rinoa had arrived at the chaotically busy train station. The starting-point of almost every railway line on the Galbadian continent.

Sending casual glances toward the various electronic timetables hanging from the ceiling, their ever-changing, luminous LED displays informing her of the small wait she had before her. She had about ten minutes until the train was due to arrive. From there, it was predicted to depart from platform three, twenty minutes later. She had thirty minutes to board the train before she missed it.

It seemed a thirty minute wait was her best bet. The train to Timber from Platform Seven was leaving at any moment. There was no way Rinoa would make it.

Her best bet was to head into the ticket office and purchase a ticket to the Desert region with a two-point transfer to Timber, and then Balamb.

With her plan of action sorted, it was relatively easy for Rinoa to follow through. She visited the ticket office first. While she could have bought her ticket on the train, this way was quicker. This way, she'd have everything ready for the train's guard. He'd merely need to check and punch her ticket.

Rinoa didn't like holding people up. That was something she'd acquired from her time as Caraway's daughter. If nothing else, she'd learned to be punctual.

It had been a simple procedure. Unfortunately, she'd overlooked one minor detail.

"So, one ticket to Dingo Station, with two transfers. That'll be four thousand Gil."

Rinoa had neglected one important factor. She needed money.

Even with the cash she'd taken from her father, she was short. She still needed another two thousand. What was she to do?

"Uh, how much if I just want to go straight to Timber?" The ticket woman gave an exasperated sigh.

"Timber Express is Three thousand."

"Um, where can I go for two thousand?"

"During Peak hours, two thousand Gil will get you to Dingo Station, which borders on Galbadia's Desert region."

"What about off-peak?"

"Off peak, you can go to Dingo Station and have enough left for a transfer to Timber."

"That sounded like her best option. At least she'd be half way. Perhaps she could figure the rest out when she got there.

"So, how much does the Express train to Timber cost off-peak? Could I take that and transfer to Balamb for two thousand?"

"Express trains operate in peak hours only."

"Oh, so when do off-peak hours begin, exactly?"

"All Weekends, three to five PM Fridays, before eight AM weekdays, after five PM weekdays, and Midday to three PM weekdays."

"Uhh…" Rinoa uttered, attempting to digest the stew of information offered before her. "So I have to wait until twelve? Okay. I'll be back."

"Can't wait," the ticket woman responded without enthusiasm as the girl made her way out to the station. As her stomach growled, Rinoa lamented the fact that she couldn't afford to feed it.

Where could she go? What could she do for the long, arduous hours that were sure to follow? With a sigh, Rinoa bathed in the melancholy that was falling down upon her, as though from her own personal raincloud.

She made her way back to the platform that had moments ago seemed like her way out of the city.

Leaning with her back against a pillar, Rinoa removed her backpack, freeing her shoulders of their burden. Looking around, she saw the masses of people as they waddled about like the penguins of Winter Island. Men, women; clean cut, shaven, and dressed in grey suits; others in casual formalwear. People on their way to work.

It was strange. Rinoa had always thought the commute to work normally happened before now.

Averting her gaze, her eyes came to linger upon a most heinous individual. Long brown hair obscured his face. Dressed in black denim pants and an obscure t-shirt, overlaid with a black leather jacket that he kept open.

His expression appeared to be one of pure bitterness. His blue eyes shifted to the girl as he raised the cigarette held between his forefinger and thumb to his lips.

Rinoa quickly looked away. Whoever he was, Rinoa didn't want to become entangled with someone like that. He was clearly trouble. She didn't like the way his eyes felt on her skin.

Rinoa could sense him staring at her. It made her uncomfortable, to say the least.

That was when she heard the voices of several men heading her way. Feeling nervous, feeling herself visibly shrinking, she waited for them to pass in front of her, hoping that they would. Hoping that they wouldn't notice her, hoping that she could simply fade away into the stone against which her body rested.

They didn't. And she didn't. The men came to a stop before her. Ignoring them, she stared through the men. She pretended not to hear the obnoxious remarks they were making, clearly at her expense.

What was their problem? Had they never seen a teenage girl alone at a train station before?

"Yeah, I thought it was you," one of the men spoke, standing directly in front of the girl. "You're General Caraway's daughter, right?" Rinoa froze. Her eyes shifted to meet his. This man, he was wearing the uniform of a Galbadian soldier.

"A-are you talking to me?" She asked, attempting to play herself down. Perhaps these men would move on. If she could only convince these men that they were mistaken. She didn't need Caraway finding out about this. Not yet, anyway. Not until she was out of the city at least. Rinoa needed some kind of head start.

"You're the only one here. Who else could be the daughter of General Caraway?"

"I'm sorry, you're mistaken."

"Am I now?"

"Yes. You seem to think that I'm some General's daughter. I'm not."

"Oh? Well I say you are."

"You've confused me with somebody else."

"I guess she's not too bright after all," a second soldier assumed. "Thinking she can lie to us. Even the General's description didn't do her justice."

"Look, I'm not who you think I am. Okay? Can you move along now?"

"If you say so… but just what are you doing here? Caraway or not, shouldn't you be in school? I mean, look at you. There's no way you're eighteen.

"What does that matter?"

"Well, a girl like you, here, all alone. Why wouldn't you be in school?"

"Suppose I dropped out."

"Then you'll need a job, something to do. Maybe we can help."

"I'm kind of busy."

"Oh? Is this what the cool kids do? Hang out by yourself at the train station?

"Maybe she's waiting for a train," a voice suggested from the distance.

"Why don't you just come with us? You don't want to get in trouble for loitering, do you?"

"Just pitiful," the voice said, again announcing its presence." Looking over, Rinoa noticed that sinister looking man staring at her. He took a drag from his cigarette, holding and releasing the smoke from his mouth, lips creating a narrow tunnel from which the smoke could escape, as though vented through a chimney. "Is this what the soldiers of Galbadia do with their time off? Do they harass kids at the train station? Do they spend their time hitting on little girls? Is this what's become of the greatest Military force in the world? Pathetic."

"Hey!" one of the soldiers bellowed to the strange man. "Keep out of this, alright?"

"Let me give you a hint. She ain't interested. Okay? Just forget it and move on. Get out of here. Fuck off. Do yourselves a favour."

"That's it, this guy's dead!" one of the soldiers exclaimed.

"Oh, so this is how our glorious soldiers respond to a little heckling? Can't say I'm surprised. This nation's always been easy to provoke." The man extinguished his cigarette, suffocating the flame with his thumb and flicking it off to the side. "Alright then." The man smirked. "Anyone who wants a fight, come and get it."

"I think that was a challenge," one of the hot headed soldiers stated, charging right toward the long haired man.

Stepping forward, the long haired man smirked. The movements of his hand were unintelligible. Rinoa couldn't follow it. His arms moved too fast.

Within a split second, the soldier's inertia had been shifted. He now followed a new path of flight, one on which this long haired man had sent him. He fell to the ground.

"Anyone else?" the long haired man openly challenged."

"You little…" the downed soldier growled, rising to his feet and charging at his aggressor. With a sigh, the long haired man responded to the violent intent in kind.

"You don't learn, do you?"

"Shut up," the soldier barked his retort, readying his fist for contact with the enemy.

"Don't you get it? Blind charges won't work against me." To demonstrate this, the delinquent-chic man launched his opponent into the air with a well-timed kick, causing him to soar over the standing platform intended for waiting commuters, and fall on the railway line, landing gracelessly, laying in a heap, positioned in a dangerous location. "Do you understand now? You don't stand a fucking chance, newbie. Now stay down there, but not too long," he added with amusement. "The train's coming." He turned his attention to the other soldiers. One in particular. Seemingly the leader.

The head soldier grit his teeth. "My men," he stated, malice-filled eyes narrowing hatefully at the long haired man. "How dare you? How dare you attack my men! Who the hell do you think you are?"

"A disgruntled citizen, fuckface. What's your excuse?"

"Damn you… Men, attack!" the leader ordered his soldiers. Instantly, the men began to advance, only to be taken down one by one. "Surround him, you fools!" the leader ordered. "Get around him, attack from all sides. Don't give this bastard the chance to defend himself."

"Six on one?" the man sneered. "Not very chivalrous, are you?"

"All's fair in war, asshole," the leader retorted.

"I think there was supposed to be a 'love' in there somewhere. Still, it's more like four on one really, since you're a man short." He was of course referring to the man still lying on the railway line.

"That's still five."

"Four," the long haired man corrected. I guess it's too much to expect an officer to actually fight alongside his troops. Oops, now it's only three," he taunted as he knocked down another soldier."

- Two!

- One!

"That does it," the officer exclaimed, running to join his men. "I'll finish this now!"

Rinoa stared wide-eyed at the spectacle. She could scarcely believe what she was witnessing.

This fight, between a single civilian and the many soldiers who outnumbered him; and the civilian was winning. Why wasn't anybody else watching this? Why weren't they trying to break it up? Didn't they care?

Thankfully, the soldiers seemed to be unarmed. They must have been off duty. That, at least, was a plus. This man seemed to have the advantage in unarmed combat, but if the soldiers had guns… Not even this guy would be able to shrug off a gunshot wound to the chest.

The officer glared at the loathsome man before him through tiny, slit-like eyes. This wretched bastard: He had singlehandedly taken out the entire platoon. He couldn't allow satirical men like this to exist. They were too much of a liability, both to government, and to the Military who kept order. It was for the best that this wretch disappear. His anti-government ideals were, after all, unacceptable.

His criticisms would not go unpunished.

The officer reached into one of the many pockets adorning his uniform and pulled a Machine pistol free from its holster. Aiming it at the long haired man, he let loose a sneer. "Not so loud now, are you? Where're your comments now, smart man?"

Without a word, the long haired man took off in a sprint, circling around the officer in a clockwise direction, leading his attention away from the teenager who happened to be watching them. She was just standing there, as though transfixed. Watching them. Why hadn't she run away? With the soldiers distracted, she'd had the perfect chance, why not take it? She had bravery, she wasn't a coward, but she clearly wasn't a genius either. To stand in danger's path, it took a little bravery, but it didn't require much intelligence.

A scream was heard in the distance, and the mindless crowd stampeded as the officer opened fire. All save for one.

"The army man and his gun," the man remarked, outrunning the gunfire, remaining constantly ahead of the officer's aim. "How quaint, but why should I expect any different?" Circling the officer in a descending orbit, he approached with a high kick and disarmed him, the weapon flying through the air like a discarded balloon. "Good rate of fire, but what use is a gun if you can't even hit me?" the man criticized.

A low roundhouse kick at the officer's ankles tripped him, and a powerful right jab to the crown of his head dispatched him, rendering him unconscious.

Incapacitated, he drifted helplessly to the ground.

Without a word, the long haired man turned to face the teenage girl and silently approached.

She stared at him through wide eyes. Through her clothing, he could see her every muscle tense. Was she afraid? If so, perhaps she should have escaped while she had the chance. She should have gotten away.

Why didn't she?

He stopped before her, looked her in the eye.

"Uh… thanks," the girl somewhat awkwardly replied. The man stared at her solemnly.

"Do you fear me?" he asked in a low tone.

"Um, excuse me?"

"You heard me, answer the question. Do you?" When Rinoa finally spoke, she spoke fast, her voice tinged with nervousness.

"At first, I think I kinda did. You… I don't know if you're intimidating, but there was something about you. You give off some kind of vibe. It's disturbing. When I first saw you, I didn't like you. I didn't want to be seen with you. I didn't want to be seen by you. I-I didn't want you to look at me. You unsettled me. Before I saw what you did just now, I don't think I'd have been able to trust you." By the time her rambling had come to an end, the man appeared amused, but his smile soon dropped.

"You'd be right not to."

"I… I don't understand. Who are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter."

"Then what are you?"

"All that matters is whether or not you can trust me."

"Can I?"

"You shouldn't… but do you? That's the true question."

Rinoa thought about this. He did still appear ominous, and her mind was screaming at her to run, that this man was dangerous. But he'd saved her, hadn't he? He'd protected her from those soldiers. Perhaps that wasn't a good thing. Things would certainly be more difficult for her when Caraway found out… but if those soldiers had gotten hold of her… it would have been no different. Nothing had changed, except now she had a chance. She had to take it. She had to escape. And she couldn't look back. It was all thanks to this strange, long haired man.

"I trust you."

"You're a fool, but I'll humour you."

"I'm a fool?"

"You don't know me… who knows what I could do to you?"

"I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't been here. You saved me from that, so I have to trust you. The way I see it, I at least owe you that much."

"Fair enough," the man replied. As he spoke, a train rolled past, coming to a halt. "You heading to Timber?" Rinoa's face went blank.

"I… I don't really know where I'm going."

"But you want to go somewhere? You don't have a plan?"

"I do, but… I can't make it. I don't have enough money, so…"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Balamb."

"Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry? How can I –"

"I'll take you."

"No, I can't ask you to do that."

"I'm heading to Timber anyway. Come along with me and I'll pay for your ticket. It's no big deal, really."

"I don't know…"

"How else are you planning to get there?" Rinoa was stumped there. The long haired man had a legitimate point. But why was he offering?

"I can't pay you back."

"Call it a favour." Rinoa's expression soured.

"That's what I'm afraid of," She mumbled.

"I thought you trusted me. Why not let me do this for you?"

"I don't want to owe anyone any favours. Even if I said I'd trust you…" Rinoa didn't feel comfortable taking anything from a complete stranger, especially not from this suspicious someone.

"Call it an act of kindness then."

"Kindness?" Rinoa raised an eyebrow at the thought.

"I suspect you'd turn up your nose at the mention of charity? I know what you're thinking."

"Doubt it."

"You're wondering why I'm so eager to help some schoolgirl."

"Well… it did cross my mind."

"Don't worry. You said you trust me, right? You'll just have to trust that I don't want anything from you. I don't expect anything in return. The truth is, I was once in a similar situation. I know what it's like when dreams outweigh one's budget. You dream of escape. I dreamed of waking the minds of the ignorant with art. Where I failed, you can succeed."

"Hold on," Rinoa spoke, her mind clouded in thought, "how do you know what I want?"

"Who wouldn't want to escape this cesspit of a city? Why else would you have come to the train station?"

"Okay, good point… So, I take it someone helped you out when you were desperate? Someone gave you charity and now you're returning the favour, right? You're 'paying it forward.'"

"No," the man responded. "Actually, they all turned up their noses like the pretentious bigots they were and told me to get a fuckin' job and a haircut."

"Well, why didn't you?" It was a valid point after all, wasn't it?

"Oh sure. Become uniform, Look and act just like all the other douchebags out there? Give up all forms of individuality, Buy a white collar suit, work in some office for some pretentious, slick-haired college bastard; maybe express my escapism and newfound self-loathing through binge drinking and bodily mutilation? No thanks. Besides, there were no jobs back then. Even if I'd done everything possible to make myself look like all the other metropolitan metrosexuals, I'd never have gotten anything. Neither did they, come to think of it. No openings means no openings, no matter how much of a pusillanimous, sycophantic, corporate douchebag someone might be. Try to keep in mind that this was back in the depression after the War. You probably don't remember that far back, even if you were alive."

"Huh…" Rinoa made a mental note to never bring this subject up again. Not in this person's company, at least.

"But you remind me of someone I used to know. It may sound stupid, but I want to help you. So, do you agree?" Rinoa looked away, concern etched into her eyes. What should she have done?

This might be her only chance to get away from the capital, to get away from _his_ house. It wasn't as though the girl had a choice… was it?

But deep down, she still didn't completely trust this person. He was acting suspicious. Who would simply offer to pay for a complete stranger's train ticket? People didn't do that. Not unless they wanted something in return, and if this person did want something, there would be no guesses as to what it could be.

People didn't give away money. Not sane people, anyway. Actually, this man did look kind of like an escaped mental patient. Okay, so he was obviously crazy, but was he dangerous? Could he hurt her?

"You know, this _is_ a limited time offer. When this train leaves, I go with it. If you want a free ride, you'd better be on it with me."

Desperate, Rinoa shook the reservations from her head and agreed. "Okay!" she finally voiced, her outburst coming out much louder than intended. Everyone was probably staring at her now, but she couldn't afford to care about something like that. Not now. "I'll go with you," she spoke, more quietly this time. _I must be nuts,_ she inwardly chastised.

Barely reacting at all to the revelation, the long haired man simply nodded, turned his back on the girl, and walked onto the train.

Waiting for a moment, Rinoa decided it best to follow, lest she be left behind, stranded.

Following him to a seat in the rear end of the train car, Rinoa stepped around him and sat down, the man having taken the aisle seat for himself, leaving her with the window.

Rinoa placed her backpack on the ground, holding it between her feet. It was difficult to believe this was actually happening. She was actually doing it. She was finally getting out of this place. She was finally getting away from her life.

Free of everything. Free of her name. Free of school. Free of her father. Free of his control. She couldn't have summed it up any better than the verbal rendition served to her ears.

"It's not often one escapes hell." Rinoa turned to the man. "Where are you going?"

"Balamb."

"I mean where in Balamb. Do you know anyone there? Someone to take you in… or hide you, as the case may be?"

"How…" how did this man know so much about her?

"It's obvious. So?"

"I have… friends there." The man nodded.

"I suppose that plan is sound enough… for the moment at least. You should work out a long term solution." Rinoa was beginning to feel just a little annoyed with this man's never ending suggestions.

"With all due respect, mister man, you don't know anything about me… right? Right?" his silence was not at all comforting. Just what had Rinoa gotten herself into? An uncomfortably familiar sensation slithered down her spinal cord, somehow coming to reside in her stomach. It was a sickly feeling, leaving her feeling nauseous and uncomfortable.

Rinoa suddenly felt lightheaded, and pressed her face to the glass of the window. The cooling sensation on her face made her feel a little better, but not much. Her ailment was not a physical one.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she uttered to herself, her voice barely speaking the words, coming out as little more than a scratchy whisper."

"Relax a little, would you?" the man insisted. It's not like I've been stalking you or anything. I don't even know your name."

That in itself was a tremendous relief to the raven haired girl. A very large part of her had been afraid that this man was not to be trusted after all. Her suspicions had arisen once more. He could have been anyone, and she'd willingly come with him.

But what other choice did she have? Surely this stranger was the lesser of two evils when compared to her father's wrath. She slowly turned back toward the man. His attention was elsewhere.

Rinoa released a sigh of relief. Perhaps it was foolish to be so paranoid, but she couldn't help it. It was then that she realised they had not exchanged pleasantries. This man was paying for her ticket after all, wasn't he? He deserved to know whom he was helping out. It was the least she could do.

"My name's Rinoa, by the way. Rinoa Ca– Heartily!" she abruptly cut herself off, suddenly seeing the foolhardiness in giving her last name. Her father was a well-known General, after all.

The man slowly nodded, seeming not to have noticed.

"What about you?" she asked. The long haired man turned to face her. Their eyes connected, solemnly, gravely, intensely. And after a moment, a moment that had seemed like much longer to Rinoa, he finally spoke.

"You can call me Kane."

* * *

**A/N: So, there you go. The second chapter. Finally. I actually stopped writing this twice. Super sorry about that. ****As I said,**** I split this one in half, that'll be the reason if this chapter seems uneventful. And yes, Kane is in this story too. While not as central as he is in my other stories, (Thy Forsaken Soul, Angel of Decadence, etc.) he serves a purpose later on, but for now he can simply be the suspicious guy who leans ominously against walls smoking cigarettes, possibly leering at passers-by. I'll leave you with that thought. Enjoy.**

**~Michael**


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